Shiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf Bull

Shiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf Bull

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A devotee used this charming rendering of the Shiva family assembled on a single pedestal for worship, likely in a private chapel. Shiva holds a rosary (aksamala) and flask; his wife, Parvati, a mirror. Both are crowned and jeweled as if Kashmiri monarchs. Shiva’s calf bull Vrsabha nuzzles close to his lord, and the couple’s two children flank the ensemble.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf BullShiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf BullShiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf BullShiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf BullShiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf Bull

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.